yayislets!

Chicago Marathon 2012

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

My (islet) transplant surgeon, Dr. Jose Oberholzer, will be speaking at the Oak Park YMCA about the work that the Chicago Diabetes Project is doing in finding a cure the Type 1 diabetes.

The Chicago Diabetes Project is a different kind of research paradigm with researchers collaborating globally to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes. Rather then fighting for resources and information they're actually working together to speed along results, and hopefully bring a cure to diabetes community more quickly.

I can't say enough positive things about my experiences with Dr. O, and the Chicago Diabetes Project. If you are interested in diabetes research and pancreatic islet transplantation I encourage you to attend. Admission is free.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Every year I have metabolic testing done to see how my islet cells are functioning. This week I had 2 of 4 tests and both had excellent results. May will be 6 years since I had my transplant and it still freekin amazes me!

It changed my life in such a basic fundamental way that it's difficult to explain just how amazing it really is. When a disease is all encompassing like diabetes is, it becomes woven into your life. It has to or you can't survive. It effects everything from what you eat to how you make your living to the people you're friends with and every, single, choice you make, is made in the light of, "How will my health be effected by this, and how will this choice be effected by my health?". It's no wonder there are so many people burned out by Diabetes. (Doctors, there's a lesson for you here about your lazy non-compliant diabetic patient that just won't listen to reason).

Diabetes wears you down, it can be oppressive, daunting and down right scary. To have that constant burden lifted after 26 years of it is nothing short of a miracle.

I wake up every day and I say a silent thank you to my donor and their family, to Dr. Jose Oberholzer, the University of Illinois Hospital, Chicago Diabetes Project, and especially, especially Cellmates On The Run, the charitable organization that helps fund the CDP through raising money by running in races and marathons throughout the year. If you have diabetes, or know someone that has diabetes please consider donating or even better running with them. There are still charity entries for the Chicago Marathon open. You can find their website here.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Strip down to your (almost) skivvies and run in the cold for a charity (not to mention the beer and snacks before hand at Shenanigan's in Downtown Chi).

The event's organizer is Type 1, her brother is also type 1 so you know the cause is close to their heart (and mine). Last year they had around 150 runners and this year they're hoping to double that so all of you crazy runners out there get even more crazy and take it off (well not all of it) for Diabetes!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

I think I'm in an abusive relationship with roller derby, and I love it.

I am sore like you wouldn't believe it today, not because I took some massive hit that is worth talking about or that I skated my booty off.

noooo

I got new wheels. It's exciting. The ones that came with my skates were not appropriate for the floor we skate on so I bought better, more maneuverable, way way pinker wheels and I fell on my butt in the middle of my kitchen floor 15 minutes after I put them on.

Can you say ouch boys and girls?

Practice today was pointless. I only lasted an hour and a half.

My ribs hurt, my shoulder is never going to heal, and I have a giant bruise on my right butt cheek.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

So the dinner for The Chicago Diabetes Project was awesome. When I got there the first thing I saw was a bigass camera and thought "oh crap" but lucky me they were gone by the time I spoke and poor Sandy, one of my fellow islet recipients had the joy of being followed around by CBS Chicago. You can read the brief article and watch the video that was aired in Chicago Monday night here.

Speaking was easier then I thought it would be and I was just so honored to be there and be able to talk to the people that make everything possible. At dinner I sat at a table with one of the researchers from Slovakia. He's working with polymers for islet cell encapsulation and he talked a little bit about both primate and human trials being done with encapsulated islets around the world.

The dinner was very nice, I especially enjoyed meeting all of the amazing scientists, donors, researchers, doctors, and other islet recipients and I didn't puke or cry while I was up there speaking.